Here Beside You
by ZatsuneMiku1
Summary: *Sequel to Here Without You* Everything is wrong. Depression. Hatred. Self pity. What went wrong? No one is sure. No one cares. *NaLu. Should be easy to pick up if first story isn't read.*
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello! This is it! This is the first chapter to the sequel of Here Without You. There'll be more below, so I'll just leave it here.**_

It had been years since her predicament. So much had passed. So much happened. So many feelings were unlocked and pushed away. She didn't know what to do then about it, but now, she just gave up. She gave up on her feelings. She gave up on everything.

She hadn't even spoken to him since that day. Or rather, she tried, but he refused to speak to her. She just gave up. She moved on. Her unrequited feelings were pushed aside. Her wounds healed into scars. Her heart was as empty as a bottle. It was cracked like a mirror. She gave up.

She didn't have nightmares about it any more. Not often, at least. She didn't think about it any more. That was only if someone brought it up, which rarely happened. Everyone was too scared of breaking her apart again. She gave up on trying.

Lucy Heartfilia. Five years had passed since it happened. Five years since that fateful day broke her far from the only person she had ever loved, Natsu Dragneel. Five years since she had been kidnapped and tortured and pushed through endeavours none should ever have to go through.

Why did it happen to her?

Why did it happen to any one?

If it hadn't happened, she'd still be with him. They'd still be friends. He'd still be there beside her. If it hadn't happened, she never would have quit the guild. She never would have quit magic, storing her keys in a locked drawer. Loke and Virgo occasionally visited her through their own power, but otherwise, she didn't exactly call on any of her spirits.

In fact, she rarely left her home.

Without money, she was kicked out of her apartment. She left. She built a new home in the forest by herself. Without friends, she never received company. It took her a long while to build the new home, and of course she had to wait until she got better, but while Loke or Virgo were visiting her, they helped in any way they could. It took a while to build, but it had to be done.

It was a pathetic cabin, but she didn't pay for rent there. In fact, she didn't pay for anything. She lived off of the land, for the most part. Usually she ate berries or whatever she managed to grow. She didn't have money for anything fancy. She could only eat that which she was sure of.

She never went into town for anything.

She never had reason to.

Lucy's land was her own.

Lucy was on her own.

* * *

><p>Gray sighed. The guild hadn't been as lively since she left. Or rather, it was lively, just not as it used to be. It was an awkward lively. It was a forced lively. Nothing felt right any more. Nothing seemed right.<p>

Natsu hadn't been back in the guild for a long time, constantly keeping himself busy with quests. Mirajane wasn't outgoing. Not like she used to be. Even Juvia was quieter than she was five years ago. Everything was strange. Everything was out of proportion.

Not to mention no one had seen Lucy in four years. They tried to stay with her that first year, but she just pushed them all away. No one had seen her in four years. It was depressing. It hung on the air in the guild like that of when she had been kidnapped. But it was worse this time. They all knew where she was.

They all knew where she was located unlike then, but she wouldn't let them close. She wouldn't let them near her. It was too much for the most of them. It was terribly saddening that she, the outgoing and boisterous Lucy, would ever lock them out of her heart.

* * *

><p>Lucy frowned to herself. Her hand paused on the paper, pen frozen in place. Writer's block. So far, she managed to write three novels which she kept to herself. There was no way she'd go into town to get them published. There was no way she'd go into town with the possibility of being seen and stopped.<p>

She let out a soft noise of displeasure. "Lucy, how can you have writer's block now? You are so close to finishing!"

"I don't know how to end it!" she argued.

"But you have to end it. There are so many other ideas you need to start."

Lucy sighed. "I know. But I have writer's block. It can't be helped."

She set her notebook down and walked away. The only thing she could do now is rest. Nothing else could help her get over the block. She stepped out to her kitchen and found a few berries to snack on.

There was something preventing her from finishing it. Something holding her back. She popped a berry into her mouth, its juices bursting.

She grabbed a book from the bookshelf and made her way to her couch. She opened the first page.

She had read the book about ten times since her seclusion. She really had nothing left to do when not writing. She could go out to find dinner and check on her crops, but she really didn't want to. It was a good book, however. It was about a girl and a boy in a relationship when this or that happens and the break up. Long story short, they get back together and live happily ever after.

It was a story that Lucy dreamt herself being in a thousand times, only to be disappointed so many times when she'd wake. So much disappointment. It was a story she had always been able to see herself and Natsu a part of, only to be filled with terrible depression.

"He never loved you. You weren't even friends." a voice told her.

Lucy looked up from her book. "You don't know that. If we weren't friends, then why did he look for me so much?"

"Why isn't he talking to you now then? Why wasn't he there to help you?"

Lucy shook her head.

"He wasn't there to help you. He stopped Felix. Then he left you behind. Why did he do that? The only reason I can think of is that he never liked you."

She could feel something wet streak down her face.

"Sure, he saved you, but it was his duty. He had no other reason to."

"You don't know that."

"I'm only using logic."

In an empty room, the blonde cried by herself. There were no shadows lurking. There was no other person. She was by herself. She was crying by herself. She beat herself up. She looked down upon herself.

She shut her book quickly and threw it. Her hands ran up to her face, wiping fiercely at her eyes. It hurt. Everything hurt so much. Lucy looked around. Her house wasn't even put together nicely. It was mediocre at best. Her desk was the only nice thing. The couch was worn out. Her book shelf wasn't a book shelf, but more a pile of books.

Even her books were scattered.

Her books.

Lucy blinked and looked over at the book she threw. Her heart ached.

The woman threw herself off of the couch and to the book, picking it up with haste. She swiped at the cover and kissed it lovingly. It was her baby. It was the only thing of value she had. It was the only thing she cared about any more. It was her last and only love.

"Pathetic."

* * *

><p>Gray slammed his fist into the table, calling the attention of so many. What were their excuses? Why didn't anyone force their way into her life? Why didn't they stop her when she left? They were pathetic.<p>

He lifted himself from the table to moved out the door. There was no way he was going to let her be alone any more. She needed someone to care for her. She needed help. She needed someone to show her the light.

If Natsu wasn't going to be there for her, then Gray would have to fill the gap. He hurried through the door and made way to the forest.

A voice called behind him. It was one he recognized instantly. "I hope you know what you are doing."

Gray smiled softly and turned to see no one, though he knew it was Loke who had spoken. "Don't worry. I have no doubts. She just needs a friend."

He hurried on his way. The sooner he could get to her, the better for her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>ALRIGHT! Here it is!<strong>_

_**This was the first chapter of Here Beside You, the sequel for Here Without You!**_

_**I hope you liked it. I worked hard on it.**_

_**I won't be updating until I get the third chapter written. (I'm trying to stay ahead of the game for once)**_

_**Um...**_

_**I don't own anything except the plot.**_

_**Love me.**_

_**I don't know.**_

_**I hope you guys enjoyed. Review, if you don't mind. I'd really enjoy a review. They make me happy.**_

_**Favourite it as well if you liked it! I'll be posting shortly.**_

_**Um... That's about it.**_

_**Review and favourite, please!**_

_**~ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


	2. Chapter 2

The forest was quiet. The greenery was brighter than the moistest of grasses. The sun barely shone through, however. And yet, the natural lighting presenting itself was enough to see everything in its glory. The trees were tall and aplenty.

The moss swallowing the bark of the trees were soft. And the extending branches were long, as though no one had even been through, which was mostly true. A nearby pond hummed with life. The fish were practically jumping out of the water. A small blue cat would have loved it.

But sightseeing within the forest was not the cause of being there. It was not the reason to be there. It was within the forest that a certain recluse was living. It was there that a female that was once known as a friend hid from everything and everyone, for that matter.

His dark hair gleamed under the golden lights of the sun. It caressed his features and hugged his blank expression. It glistened in the slight sweat on his brow. It was true to that of himself.

Gray Fullbuster was in search of a past friend. He was in search of the recluse. He felt as though the world needed her to rejoin society. As though nothing was the same without her; nothing had been the same without her.

Lucy Heartfilia, ever since her accident, she hadn't been the same. Ever since that damnable creature had taken hold of her, she's completely locked herself away. She's hurt herself. She's hid herself. She's done everything in her power to be alone.

Gray sighed, picking up his heavy feet slowly, still trying to figure what he'd say to the girl.

The only one as bad off as the girl was Natsu Dragneel. He never came back to the guild. He never stayed longer than a day. He was constantly off fulfilling a job and, in general, staying away from everyone. They tried to talk to Happy to see if he could convince Natsu to stay, if only for a short while, but Happy was quickly scolded by his 'loving master.'

Happy wasn't the same either.

The male frowned to himself. There were so many things he could say to her. So many things he could confront her about. But the question was, which one wouldn't be as... offensive?

He shook his head in complete defeat. There was only one way to handle it, really. Just go with it. Lucy was a smart girl. There was no doubt in Gray's head that she hadn't thought over an argument since her leaving. He would just have to counter everything.

No matter what she would or could throw at him, he'd be prepared.

* * *

><p>The pink-haired boy sighed.<p>

He was depressed.

He wasn't the same, and he knew this.

He embraced his new found differences.

The pink-haired boy cried.

He wasn't welcome home any more.

No one wanted him.

No one needed him.

He wasn't the same without her.

He'd never be the same without her.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for him to find her home. Gray had visited it several times before she turned into a total recluse. It really wasn't that hard to find. It was within traveling distance from the town. However, it wasn't within easy walking distance. A person would have to traverse a wide range of difficult rocks and areas with a little too much shading.<p>

But he knew his way. He had found the easiest pass to take on the first time visiting. It even had nice views of surrounding areas, which was really just an added bonus to coming out to see Lucy. Of course, seeing Lucy was a complete privilege on its own.

It was within the forest in a small, cramped area filled with trees and a small pond of fish that the house resided. It wasn't that it was poorly put together, but rather that it was a wonder how the thing managed to hold as it did. There weren't any windows, and the door was withholding mold and decay. The walls were rough and messy, nails stuck out here and there. It was a death trap in the making. It was a wonder how anyone could live there, let alone Lucy, of all people.

He walked slowly up to the door and sighed softly. There wasn't a handle. It was really just a small pull of string that looked like it could break at any moment. Gray wrapped his hand into the string, not wanting to knock. He gave it a slow tug. The string ripped apart.

He frowned and mumbled to himself. "Of course the string broke. What else would it have done? Opened the door? Never."

A small sigh was released again and he tugged at the string a little more. Poor Lucy. It was a wonder how she managed to survive out there. Everyone missed her, so it was silly of her to be so alone all the time.

The door crept open, though even this was a mystery as to how it worked.

The lighting inside was preposterous. There wasn't any electricity, of course. All she had was a few candles. But how she made them or got them was still a mystery to everyone and wasn't one that was going to be asked about any time soon. It wasn't extremely dark inside for, since the house wasn't properly built, light slipped through the cracks in the 'ceiling.' It was easy to find his way around the one room home.

His eyes spotted her quickly.

In the middle of the floor was a body. It was hunched over. Gray moved quickly over to it. Greasy blonde hair was sprawled across the body and floor. It had grown since he had last seen it. Her clothing laid loosely on her skinny body. She had grown smaller since he had last seen her. There was no doubt that she wasn't trying her best, most wouldn't have survived that long, but she definitely could have been worse out.

Gray set off a small smile on his lips and set a hand on her back. She lifted her head up to look at him. She looked confused. Her eyes were bland and dulled.

"Who are you and why are you in my house?"

It wasn't as though he had changed too much over the past five years. Sure, his hair was a little shorter than it would have been, and he had grown perhaps a little leaner. But other than that, it wasn't as though he had changed to much.

Then again, it had been five years. She had lived alone for five years and never left. She never visited them, and they never visited her. Of course she wouldn't remember. She was probably more worried about her next meal to really remember him.

Gray's smile widened. "Don't tell me you can't remember one of your best friends, Lucy."

Her eyebrows squeezed together for a second before her eyes lit up with recognition. Her arms wrapped quickly around him and her head instantly fell into the crook of his neck. He moved to embrace her back. She definitely was much smaller than he remembered.

When she pulled him in tighter, he could feel each individual rib starting to poke out. She had tried her best, but it was obvious she was a little malnutritioned. Her body had more than likely gotten used to the meals she would have had to eat, so it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But it wasn't good either. She needed real sustenance.

Gray pulled back slightly out of the hug. Lucy followed this order. She smiled back at him. "It's great to see you, Gray."

He couldn't tell if she was being true there or not. She was the one who pushed everyone away. She locked herself away from everyone. Was it really great to see him? Did she even want to see him? Was she telling the truth, or had she gotten good at telling lies? He did his best to shake these thoughts from his head.

"Hey, Lucy," he started, "how have you been?"

She nodded slowly. "Well enough. And yourself?"

"I've been okay."

"How are things with Juvia?"

His face heated up a little.

She giggled softly and nudged his arm. "How is the guild?"

Gray sighed, his smile dispersing quickly. Her giggling stopped with his sigh and turned. His eyes tracked away from her. "I'd be lying if I said it was as boisterous as it always was, Lucy."

* * *

><p>The pink-haired boy sighed sadly.<p>

Nothing was the same.

Nothing was ever the same.

Nothing could be the same.

He looked down at his shaking hands.

The pain he caused with them still haunted him every day. Sure, five years had passed since then, but the pain he caused her would never leave him. It followed him everywhere and all he did was continue to hurt everyone. He could never be the same person he once was.

* * *

><p>Lucy's eyes shifted down lazily. Gray had explained to her the problems that had persisted in the guild. He explained Mirajane's new found sadness. He explained Erza's new found drinking problem. Wendy's reverting to her old scared self. He explained everything. Nothing was the same any more.<p>

Everyone felt bad. They felt bad about not helping Lucy sooner. The felt bad about never visiting the girl. They felt down right terrible about everything. Most were constantly out on missions, not wanting to be around the tiresome air. The few that stayed around didn't do much. The guild was still number one, because people were out and about, but even people outside the guild could tell something was wrong about them.

And it wasn't as though Lucy's story wasn't known by the people close to the guild. They all knew about Felix and what he had done. They brought it up with the people in the guild, but it was clear that most of them were still talking about it behind all of their backs.

"Everyone is tired. Everyone is sad. Everyone is lonely. Everyone has changed, Lucy." Gray explained with a sigh. "Even I've changed. I'm not as out-going. Not as fun, as people have told me. I guess when you left, a part of me died. A part of everyone died."

Her mouth hung open for a second, searching desperately for the right words to say. She closed it, then quickly opened it again as if to say something. Her eyes hung sadly. Finally, she said, "What about Natsu?"

Gray's expression hardened. "No one has seen him in a long time. No one except maybe Pops. We haven't even seen Happy. He comes to the guild for requests when no one is around then leaves right away. None of us have seen him."

Lucy looked sadly at Gray. She wasn't sure what to say.

"The last time I saw him was the day you moved out here. I remember him telling me, still, that we were better without him any ways. He was saying that he still had a lot to learn and that after what he had done to you, he wasn't worthy." Gray swallowed hard, as though he was choking on a little bit of food. "He felt so bad about your incident that he's locked himself away, kind of like you, but in a different sense. He's punishing himself. A little too harshly, if you ask me."

The only person worse of than Natsu was Lucy. At least Natsu was keeping himself preoccupied. At least Natsu had all of the knowledge he needed to survive on his own. What did Lucy have? She had knowledge she had learnt in a book or two. She didn't know how to hunt well. She wasn't all that great at fishing. She had to learn things as she went along. At least Natsu already knew these things. Lucy had to learn on her own. She had to figure these things out or else she'd grow weak and, well, die. Natsu had always known these things. These were things he'd learnt at a very young age.

Lucy's face heated up, more than likely from holding back tears. She had no idea what her leaving had done to the guild. She wasn't prepared to hear what she brought onto the guild. The girl pressed her lips into straight line so that they wouldn't quiver, though this was unsuccessful.

Gray patted her softly on the back, realizing very quickly how she was. "No one blames you, Lucy. It isn't your fault that you went through all of that. No one blames you."

"Whose fault is it then? Natsu's? Th-" she choked on her words, "that isn't fair for Natsu."

"No one blames Natsu either." Gray quickly said. "It was an accident. No one is to blame. It happened. But trust me, if we could have, we'd change it all. We'd prevent it from happening."

"But it did happen. And there isn't anything you can do." Lucy said softly.

"Yes, I know. But Lucy, we all love you." Gray sighed. "This isn't my point. I didn't come here to tell you all of this."

Lucy's eyes softened slowly. "Why are you here, Gray?"

He shut his eyes for a second, his eyebrows pushed together tightly. "I came to bring you home."

**_Hello again!  
>This is it! The second chapter already! I do have a lot more time now that I'm out of school, haha. But regardless, hopefully this lives up to my previous writing. I don't know, I feel like my writing has changed a lot. Also, don't worry, there will be some action type deals coming up, I think. It's not all going to be this sappy stuff I'm writing.<br>Any ways, hopefully the next chapter won't take too long to write for y'all. Once again, I'm sorry if this isn't living up to the original works. I am working hard on it. I wasn't originally PLANNING on writing a sequel, so I'm just really pulling things out of my butt. I feel like I really like the idea, however. I am really enjoying myself writing this sequel. And I love you guys, so I want to write this for you guys.  
>Um, as I was saying, I hope this chapter is alright. It is longer than the first one. But regardless, review and favourite. I love reviews. I scream on the inside out of joy every time I see one. Plus I do try to answer some reviews. You can also shoot me some private messages if you like. I appreciate that as well.<br>But regardless, review! I love reviews. I love writing for you guys, so it makes me happy to hear feedback. Or maybe you have some ideas, I'm always willing to listen to ideas. Or if you need any help, I can do that as well. Review if you like to. I feel bad asking for reviews, but they really do help. And favourite.  
>I love you guys so much. So very much.<br>_**

**ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**


	3. AN ALREADY? Please read :(

My sweet lovelies. I have both good news and bad news. This is actually really important, so please don't just skip through this. I'm serious...

So I guess I'll start with the bad news.  
>I am sorry to say this, but my computer is... well, fried. My brother's friend and he were messing with the wiring so that we could get my internet fixed. We managed to turn it on, but my brother's friend stupidly tried to mess with the wiring a little... And, well, he shorted it. So my other brother is going to fix it when he gets the chance. However, my brother who plans on fixing it always takes way too long to do anything. So it might just be months before it gets fixed. This is really devastating for me. All of my works were on that computer. I had so many chapters and so many stories. To be fair, I have everything saved on a flash drive, but without a good computer, what does it matter? It might take a little longer until the next chapter is up. I'm still working, but I lost all my progress on the third chapter, it being the only one that hadn't moved over to the flash drive yet. But I do have a new notebook. And so far my new version of the third chapter is thus far a little better than the original.<br>Which brings me to the good news, I do have a notebook. I will write as much as I can until the computer is up. I do have my dad's laptop, but rarely ever get a good chance to go on it. But when I get a chance, I'll still update. It's not really that great of news, but it's a start. Hopefully my computer will get fixed soon.

I'm so sorry this has hadn't. I'll still do my best to update whenever I can. But it might be a little bit until I get another chapter uploaded. I'm sorry. My brother's friend is so stupid... I'm sorry. I love you all so much. I'll try to update whenever I can. I wish this hadn't happened, but I can't go back into the past and fix it. I'll try to update soon.

Love always,  
>ZatsuneMiku1Rebecca Lauber


	4. Chapter 3

Anxious. All he wanted was to break free at last.

Depressed. Everything he wanted had been taken from him.

Lonely. He knew he'd never see her again.

Abandoned. He belonged to such a disgraced name.

Realized. He knew what he had done was wrong.

Tired. He was tired of being haunted by a past him.

Dead. His old self had died.

Reborn. A new person took over his heart and soul.

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed. There was no way she'd be able to go back. Not now. Not ever. She stood up quickly and backed away from her friend, shaking her head quickly. She couldn't go back. Gray got up and walked slowly towards her.<p>

"Lucy," he said, "come home with me. Come home."

He held his hand out to her softly.

A cold breeze blew through the cracks in the wall. She stared at his hand. She stared at him. A pained look was apparent on her face. She shook her head again. "I can't."

"Why can't you?" Gray asked.

She kept shaking her head at him, searching for the right words. "I don't... I don't belong there."

"Why?"

Lucy sighed. "I just don't. I can't. I will never belong there, and you know it."

She backed away from him again, her expression hardening slightly as she stepped to her door. She opened it. "I'm afraid it's time for you to leave, Gray. I need to go out and find my dinner."

Gray walked quickly to her and grabbed her arms. She jumped in his touch. He softened his grasp as she squirmed uncomfortably. "Lucy, you can't stay out here."

"Why can't I?" she demanded.

"You are half starving yourself! You don't belong out here! You need to be with people. You are keeping your real self hidden from everyone! The Lucy I know isn't a recluse. She isn't a girl that hides from even her friends. The real Lucy," he started loudly, "the Lucy I know, well, she's a strong girl that is always there when someone needs her. Someone who never gives up!

"You can't stay out here! You aren't the Lucy everyone knows! You are just a shell of her, but I know the real you is in there screaming to get out!" Gray sighed. "You need to embrace everyone like you used to, not hide out he-"

"What do you know?" Lucy demanded, cutting her friend off in a huff of desperation. She slapped his hands away. "I didn't ask for these things to happen to me! I didn't ask for what had happened to me. I don't ask for the nightmares that still haunt my dreams when I manage to dream! You think you know how I am, but you don't know anything!

"You claim to know me, but do you really? I didn't ask to change, it just happened! The girl I was has died; she's never coming back! She was a naïve girl that was always relying on others! You know what happened? She, or really I, grew up. I grew up. I came to realize my faults and I grew out of them. I can't go back.

"It's not that I don't want to." she took a deep, solemn breath, "I just can't. I don't want to disappoint everyone when they realize that I'm not the same and that I'll never be the same. I can't be the same. Too much has changed already. I can't go back."

Gray stared hard at her, but her expression never changed. Her shoulders hung lazily, and her arms laid beside her. Her head was tilted slightly to the left towards her one shoulder. Her face was blank. Her eyes didn't shine. Her lips formed an almost straight line. And she sighed.

"Gray, I can't go back."

He opened his mouth to reply, but no proper words were exchanged.

He nodded and stepped outside her house. He'd have to make up a new plan to get her out and about. He'd just have to admit defeat for the time being. It wasn't that he wanted to, but rather that he had no choice.

Gray didn't give her a second look. He just turned around and started walking away. He couldn't do anything for her now.

* * *

><p>The pink-haired boy frowned. Out of the twenty requests he pulled from the board at the guild, he was more than done. He had to go back now. He had to get some more. He looked down at his small blue companion. "Come on, Happy. We're heading back to the guild."<p>

"Aye." Happy said softly to his friend.

The two walked in the setting sun quietly together. The reds and oranges of the sun slide out of the darkening blue sky, leaving a trail of greens and yellows behind. It was a real beauty to behold, but to the boy, it was truly depressing. It was like a dying flame being put out by the cold. To the boy, he felt it represented himself. To the boy who saw it every night, all it did was worsen his condition.

Everything was still prominent in his memory. He could remember what everyone around him was wearing. He could remember who was doing what. It was a memory he couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard he truly tried.

"Natsu?" a small blue paw pulled at the boy's sleeve.

He looked down at his friend questioningly. "What do you need?"

"Can we stop to see everyone this time? Or do we have to keep away from everyone again?" he asked softly. "I'd like to see everyone. I'm sure Lucy would love to see us."

"You know we can't see Lucy as we are. Or, at least, I can't see her." Natsu sighed.

"How about Mirajane or Gray? Can we visit them?" he retaliated.

Natsu shook his head slowly with a small moan of pain from a headache. He grabbed the small blue cat's paw with a forced smile. "Look, Happy, if you want to go out and see everyone, I'm not going to stop you. I'm not going to be mad at you. And you can be sure that I'm more than likely not going to go with you. If you want to see Mira or even Carla, for all I care, go ahead."

Happy smiled softly. "Thank you, Natsu. And if I learn anything of interest, I'll tell you, okay? Maybe something interesting has happened."

Natsu's forced smile slowly faded away. "Of course. Something interesting has probably happened, it has been a while, after all, since we've talked to anyone."

The exceed trotted happily next to his friend, holding his hand softly. Ever since they stopped seeing everyone, they had become closer to where this was more than normal for them. Happy didn't mind. He knew Natsu needed him, after all.

The pink-haired boy had given the cat of following him or staying behind when they left. It wasn't much of a choice. Happy knew that Natsu would need him. And Happy knew that he needed Natsu. They were going out on their own. They were leaving everything behind, for the most part. Besides, he knew that everyone needed a friend, at the very least.

Angry. He was mad at every mistake he had made.

Depressed. He was sad over losing her.

Tired. He was exhausted from being trash.

Alone. Constantly lonely.

He sat about in his darkened chambers. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought of her. She plagued his mind. She plagued his whole being.

What was she doing? How was she fairing? Had she forgotten about him already? Or did he constantly be in her mind as she was for him?

He didn't know. Of course he didn't know. He hadn't seen her in such a long time after all.

He couldn't help but feel it. He couldn't help but miss Lucy so much.

* * *

><p>Lucy felt a chill run slowly down her back. It was a very ominous chill. She pushed it aside, more thoughts pulled deep into her mind. She had to be mental for doing as she was.<p>

"Why are you doing this?" she asked herself.

"I'm not staying. I just want to see how everyone is doing. It can't be as bad as Gray said." Lucy argued. "Why shouldn't I visit?"

"Because they abandoned you. You don't need people like that." she sighed out.

She stopped in her tracks for a moment, just searching for an appropriate answer. When she came up with one, she smiled and kept on her way. "They won't see me. I just need to see them. They'll never know that I was there."

"Whatever." she frowned to herself.

Lucy beamed with a small ounce of joy. There was no reason for her not to see her old friends. What she had told herself was true any ways. She only needed to see how they were. There was no reason she had to actually talk to them at all.

She'd just peer silently through the doorway or window or something. She could pull her hood over her head. They'd never know. They'd never recognize her ever. She'd be just like a shadow. She'd be like the figure in the darkness.

The girl took in a deep breath, pleased with herself for coming up with such an amazing plan.

* * *

><p>He had a plan. He'd walk in, get a job, then hurry out. He didn't have time to sit around and talk to everyone. He didn't want to talk to them any ways. The only reason he was getting a job as he was this time was because a certain blue cat had convinced him into it.<p>

Otherwise, he never would have done it. He'd have gone about his business as he typically would. He supposed it'd be good for him to do something a little different for once in a blue moon. It wouldn't hurt him to see them, at the very least.

The exceed skipped excitedly beside the boy. It never spoke to its best friend, the boy. It was too busy trying to figure out what he'd say to his old friends. Too busy thinking.

"Natsu?" the exceed finally started. "When do you think we'll be back?"

The boy shrugged. "Probably about in an hour or so. Couldn't say for sure."

Happy beamed. "I hope we get there soon. I'm excited to see everyone."

"Yeah." Natsu said slowly, mind pressed on other ideas.

It was hard to believe that it had been almost five years since he had last seen anyone. To think he was already twenty-three years old. Time sure did fly by. That would make Romeo the same age he was when everything happened. It was absurd to think about.

Natsu sighed and scratched his head quickly. It was funny what time did to people. It ripped them apart. It pulled them together. He could only wonder as to what time did to Lucy.

Did it help her? Did it do anything for her at all? Or did it only rip her further apart? He really did not know. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know.

His heart skipped a beat painfully. Even know, the thought of his lovely female counterpart kept him constantly on his toes in admiration. Even though she hated him to no end.

Even though he had disappointed her.

Lucy breathed in hard-like. It was a tad bit painful as she swallowed an exasperation. She put a hand softly over her heart. It was beating far faster then she had been expecting. A shiver ran down her back.

"You don't have to do this." she told herself.

"No." she replied. "But I want to."

She closed her eyes for a second, doin gher best to regain her composure. When she reopened them, she hardened her expression, pulled up her hood, and took a few steps inside. It hit her hard.

Everything was silent. People sat at the tables, booze in hand, but nobody spoke. A few people stood by the guild's board, but nobody moved to take a job.

Lucy looked towards the tables.

In a quiet corner sat Gray. Everything was just how he told her. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't talk to him though. She couldn't risk blowing her cover.

* * *

><p>He was already back in town. His small blue cat trotted gleefully beside him. It would only be a minute or so before he was at the guild.<p>

* * *

><p>Lucy did her best to hold in her cry. She couldn't believe her eyes.<p>

"I thought you were going to visit Lucy?" a voice inquired. Lucy's eyes shifted quickly up.

Who was he?

Dark hair shimmered thoughtfully. A scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck. His voice was deep, but not too deep. Lucy found herself perplexed. Who was this kid? Was he new?

She looked at Gray. "I did go to see her."

"Yeah." he argued. "Yesterday."

Gray sighed. "After yesterday's scuffle, I decided that it would be best not to go today, Romeo."

Lucy gasped. The last time she had seen Romeo, he was just starting his teen years. Now he was almost a full-grown man.

"If it were me, I'd have dragged her out." he stated.

"Brute force isn't going to get Lucy back in the guild."

"It's still a pos-"

Gray slammed his fists on the table. "What do you know? You're just a kid! You didn't see her there, skinnier than every before! You didn't see her there, eyes avoiding any contact! What do you know, Romeo? She looks like she's about to break with any touch! And brute force will only speed up that process!"

The boy stood there, staring down at the older man. They stood like that for a short while before a small 'tsk' noise was heard and Romeo stomped off.

She stood up quickly. She couldn't take much more. No one seemed to notice her brash movement. No one seemed to care. Lucy brought a hand up to her forehead, distressed over the situation.

Lucy hurried away from the table. Not only did she want to leave due to her sudden surge of emotions, but also because something in her heart told her to leave immediately. She hurried out, only barely catching a glimpse of pink hair. She didn't have time to think about it. She had to leave.

He entered during her escape, catching only a sweet familiar scent. He stopped in the doorway, her name stuck to his tongue like glue. He turned to look, but was quickly away by the sound of his own name.

"Natsu?" a female's voice called.

_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. GUYS. GUYS. MY COMPUTER IS FIXED ALREADY. My dad fixed it while I was with my boyfriend this past week. He even got my internet up and running. THIS MEANS MORE CHAPTERS MUCH FASTER! YAY!**_

_**Regardless, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I actually had to mix the original chapter 3 that had been stuck on the recently fixed computer and the new chapter 3 that had been written in a notebook. I actually had to make sense or else it wouldn't have made sense. I realized after I was rereading the original chapter 3 that I had apparently been writing ABOUT things that happened in the original version within the new version. So, as said, it wouldn't have made sense if I didn't mix them. Thereby, the chapter is just slightly longer than usual. Just slightly though. Very slightly.**_

_**So, I'm thinking the next upcoming chapter is going to reveal some real stuff. If not this next chapter, then the one afterwards. So stay tuned for that! It'll be exciting. I'm still trying to figure out how to reincorporate Felix, though I have a pretty good idea how to work him in. I'm also thinking about really using Romeo this time around. Any thoughts on that?**_

_**Speaking of Romeo, sorry about that. I was thinking about the 7 year time skip and everything... So in the first story, Here Without You, in thinking that Romeo was still 13, therefore Lucy was 17 and I decided that Natsu would be 18. (I looked everywhere for Natsu's age, but no website had it and I could have sworn he was given an age in a small part of the books. Then I saw that he was supposed to be them same age as Gray, so there.) And with the five years that had passed, Natsu is twenty-three. Hard to believe it myself. So therefore Lucy is twenty-two. And Romeo is eighteen. Unless I did my math wrong. In that case, my bad.**_

_**Sorry this is turning out to be a long a/n section. It wasn't meant to be...**_

_**Regardless, favourite and follow if you haven't already. Nothing brings me greater joy than someone following or even favouriting my silly ol' story! Also! Reviews are MUCH appreciated. I haven't been getting as many reviews as I did on Here Without You. I'm curious as to why. Perhaps it's just not as well known yet? Or perhaps it's just because I'm only on my third chapter? I don't know.**_

_**Either way, please review.**_

_**"Nothing brings me greater joy than someone following or even favouriting my silly ol' story!" I lied just then. Sorry. There is only thing that brings me greater joy. Reviews! So review and I'll be super happy! **_

_**I love you guys so much!**_

_**Review, favourite, follow!**_

_**See y'all in the next update!**_

_**~ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_

_**P.S. I've actually gotten quite a few people who are following and favouriting my actual account. Thank you guys so much. I never expected such a thing to happen. It pleases me to no end. I love you guys SO much. Thank you so very much!**_


	5. Chapter 4

Natsu sighed. Looks like he didn't have a choice. He'd have to stop and talk to everyone now. He turned to look at the person who called him. Lisanna. Her short white hair bounced around her in an almost gleeful way. Her eyes shone like that of a morning star. Natsu forced on a smile. He really didn't want to talk to her at the moment, but he felt as though he didn't have much a choice, she had already called around to him.

"Hello, Lisanna. It's certainly been a while." Natsu said softly.

Her joyful face crinkled up into a look of anger. "'Been a while' you say? Natsu! It's been five years! Where have you been?"

He sighed. "I've been out doing my job. I've been back several time. It's not my fault if you didn't see me while I was around."

She slapped his arm quickly and hardly. "Not your fault? You are here and gone within minutes. It's not that I haven't seen you, but no one has seen you! No one. Unless you are now going to say that it's all their faults as well for not catching you while you were here?"

He pulled away. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little too busy to be lectured right this very second. I just came here for some jobs."

Natsu stepped away from the dumbfounded girl. He knew the way he spoke to her wasn't exactly correct. He knew he should have respected her a little more. And he certainly didn't mean his words to be rude sounding in any way. All he could just was hope they wouldn't be thought of that way.

The small blue friend pulled away from the conversation and ran to a person he missed. The person he truly missed wasn't there at the moment, so the cat went to an old friend. "Gray!"

The raven-haired boy smiled at the cat and hugged him softly. "How's it going Happy?"

"Well enough! How are things with you?"

"Could be better." the man admitted. "Is Natsu going to stay this time? Or leave right away as per usual."

Happy looked away sadly. "Probably leave right away. He only came here at this time now, in the middle of the day, because I asked him to. He was going to do it as he usually does."

"Good work, Happy." Gray smiled. He patted the cat on the head and walked towards his friend.

The pink-haired boy frowned. "What?"

"That wasn't any way to speak to someone who was truly worried about you all this time." Gray stated.

"I know." Natsu said under his breath. "What does it matter to you?"

Gray shrugged. "It really doesn't. I just came over here to speak with you."

"Well, you've got my attention, so speak." Natsu spat out quickly.

"She isn't well." He said smoothly.

"She?"

Gray frowned. "You know very well who I am speaking of. Lucy isn't well in any way. I think it's time you two fixed your problems with one another."

* * *

><p>He let go of the man, who fell to the floor with a loud thud. His dark look wasn't quite gone, and he looked at the girl, his beloved friend, with a fierce malice. She didn't back down, however. She was desperate for him to back down instead. Her heart was pumping fiercely. She took at small step towards the boy and grabbed his arm softly.<p>

Her hazel eyes ran up to meet his own hatred filled eyes. She forced on a smile as her hand ran smoothly down his arm and firmly onto his hands. She lead him slowly away from the unconscious man. "Calm down, now. It's time we went home, Natsu. There's no need to do this much."

His breathing got heavier, his chest rising and falling quickly in short breaths. His fist tightened within the grasp of her hand. She looked down at it with a small sigh. "Come on. It's time to go home."

The boy looked around the room at his injured comrades. Wendy was magic deprived and exhausted. Erza was bleeding, magic deprived, and, at this point, unconscious. Juvia was mostly fine for the most part, but that was because she had spent quite a bit of time just trying to heal Gray after the accidental injury she had caused him.

He looked back at his beloved friend. She was the most injured. Though Wendy had managed to close up the worst of the wounds, it was still apparent the girl, Lucy, was trying her best just to stand up. His tight fist tightened even more.

Even his own injuries were immense and constantly fighting with him. Natsu pulled his hand away from Lucy, it loosening completely. He raised it into the air slowly.

"Calm down now, Natsu." Lucy tried again.

And he did. He calmed down to an almost extreme. The shaking in his hand, that was still risen, stopped completely. He whispered softly, "How dare you?"

* * *

><p>Lucy stumbled forward, tears stealing away her vision bit by bit. Her breathing was fast, and she couldn't control herself very well. She was running on impulse. She was running out of fear. Lucy hurried back into her forest, stopping only halfway to her house.<p>

She leant herself again a tree, sinking down to her ground. Her hands were quick to try and wipe away her sobs, but it was really of no use. Her tears fell like the rain, soaking everything it can. The girl cried into her arm, giving up on the idea of wiping away her tears. She gave into her sadness, falling into its looping trap.

* * *

><p>She was dumbstruck. Within second, the boy had swung his arm, his hand making hard contact with her cheek. Her hand instantly ran up to the stinging pain as she refused herself the right to cry. She couldn't cry now. She had to stand firm.<p>

"How dare you?" he said again, this time a little louder. His expression hardened. "How dare you stop me? How dare you just say "it's time to go home?" You don't get that right. You don't deserve it."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then reopened them, trying to keep herself tranquil. "I understand if you are mad at me, but this guy isn't worth your full hatred. He isn't worth it."

"Why do you get to say that? After we risked our lives to save you? After we our best, getting severely injured in the process, to rescue you? No. Lucy, you don't say when it ends." His words stung. "We never should have come for you."

Lucy could feel an arrow pierce her heart. It shattered into small bits. He had crushed her last bit of self. She couldn't even understand why he was mad at her. She stood there, perfectly still.

Natsu quickly walked past the girl. He wasn't sure why he had said such harsh words to her. Surely, she didn't deserve the harsh words. It wasn't as though she had done anything wrong, after all. But he couldn't stop himself. The words he didn't mean had already passed his lips. There was no taking them back now. He just kept on his way forward.

* * *

><p>Gray smiled at Natsu softly. "Why don't you come visit her with me? We can go see her tomorrow."<p>

Natsu spat out the little bit of beer in his mouth. Slamming his cup onto the table, he sputtered out, "Are you crazy? There's no way she'll want to see me. I said so many thing I didn't mean to her. She doesn't want to see me."

"Are you sure? When I was talking to her, she seemed desperate. She seemed like she was ready to move on. When I spoke of her, it looked as though her spirits were really starting to rise." Gray lied. "I think she really wants to see you."

Natsu scratched the back on his neck. "There's no way she'd want to see me. I can't take back what I said to her. She'll never forgive me."

"She's already forgiven you, Natsu." Gray continued. "She wants to see you."

"I wouldn't know what to say to her." Natsu said earnestly.

The raven-haired boy sighed softly. His lying trick wasn't working. He'd just have to tell him the truth. Gray brought himself closer to Natsu and lowered his voice. "She isn't well, Natsu. She's living out in the woods with a home she 'built.' It's a worn down shack with barely a roof. It's a wonder how she manages to live there without getting severely ill. Not only that, but she skinny."

"She's always been pretty skinny." Natsu interrupted.

"I don't mean like how she normally was, stupid. She's a lot skinnier now, Natsu. You can feel her bones without an issue. It used to be otherwise, but now, now it's easy to feel her ribs when and if she hugs you." Gray looked away from the boy, remembering how small her wrist had turned. "She doesn't keep herself well-fed. She wasn't meant to be living out in the wilderness for long periods of time as she is. I told you that she isn't ill, but it's only a matter of time before something does happen to her."

Natsu remained silent.

The raven-haired boy looked slowly at his friend, standing up from the table. "I'll meet you outside the forest tomorrow. If you don't show up and something happens to her, you'll have to live with your regrets forever. You'll have to live with the idea that you could have saved her. I'll wait for you all day. If you don't show up, and something happens to her, and you never get to apologize to her, you'll never live it down."

Gray walked away, leaving the pink-haired boy to his solitary thoughts.

* * *

><p>Lucy looked up hardly at the soft, dark sky. She knew she couldn't live as she was any more. She couldn't let herself wither away any more than she has. Lucy lifted her hand towards the sky, watching as it opened and closed in pain.<p>

Then it struck her. She keeled over, her stomach turning and turning painfully. She was forced into a haunched position as she coughed violently into her hand. It wasn't the first time this had happened.

When it passed, Lucy set her hand back down beside her, never noticing the vibrant red set within her palm. She sighed, making up her mind. She had to end it.

_**HAH!**_

_**AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M NOT SORRY.**_

_**Sorry this one was a little short than the past two. It still isn't shorter than chapter 1 though! So I don't care! Dx I did write it in one sitting though, however. And I didn't bother rereading... if there are mistakes, I'm sorry. I just wrote this all within an hour. And I'm too lazy to proof read. I'm sorry. **_

_**"I told you that she isn't ill..." AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm still not sorry. You guys can look up what kind of things causes blood, but I don't think you'll get what it is. ;D I want it to be a surprise, regardless.**_

_**Any ways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Um, you know what? This sequel just might end up really sappy, so if you have a weak heart to these kinds of things, HAHAHAHAHA I'm (not) sorry. So yeah, it might just end up being this sappy stuff instead of how I was originally gonna write it. I don't know. Plot ideas are still in the works for me. I'm just kinda writing right now.  
><strong>_

_**So favourite if you haven't already! Follow if you want to be alerted to new chapters. OH. AND REVIEW! I really do adore reviews. I feel like a little bit of my icy cold heart warms every time you guys comment. It pleases me to no end.**_

_**Any ways, the next chapter will be up... well, eventually. Whenever I get to it. I actually hadn't started this chapter at all until now... I'm a terrible person. So yeah. Favourite, follow, and comment! :D**_

_**I'll see y'all in the next chapter. I love you guys so much!**_

_**~ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


	6. AN Explanations

Hi Hi everyone.  
>Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had terrible writer's block with Here Beside You until recently. Actually, I got rid of it by watching both new and old episodes of Fairy Tail while catching up on a little reading for it... I also reread everything I wrote, so that also helps...<br>I mean, I didn't mean to be gone this long and now that NaNo is here (and now almost over), my real focus is on trying to write those 50,000 words... but then it hit me! I finally thought up what I was gonna do for this chapter!  
>I started the chapter, but didn't get much of it done yet because... NaNo. But I can honestly say it won't be much longer until I get the next chapter up. Depending on when I finish writing the chapter, I might get it up before the month ends, though I can't make any promises at the moment. Just rest assured that there will be another chapter and I have not forgotten about y'all. The chapter will be up soon...ish.<br>I'm super sorry about not getting it done yet, even though I had so much time to do it. A lot happened and I was just super busy. Like... a lot happened... sigh...  
>Anyways, like I said, I should be able to get it done soon. Hahahahaha. Also, I'm sorry... I totally forgot what disease I gave Lucy at the end of the last chapter, so don't mind me as I make something up... 8I I'm gonna make up something... :I Maybe I'll remember when I do that... Maybe not. I had a notebook filled with notes for why I did what and what was going to happen, but either someone stole it, or I lost it. I haven't the slightest idea as to where it could be... I can't even find a trace of it. Maybe it never existed? I dunno! But I'll figure it out... That's probably why I had such bad writer's block.<br>Any who... that's all I want to say for now. Have a great day. Have a great Thanksgiving or any other holiday that could come up in the meantime. Haha... Sorry I'm taking so long. Thank you for putting up with me. Thank you to everyone new to my story. I love you guys so so much!  
>Sorry and thank you again...<p>

~ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber


	7. Chapter 5

The air was thick. Thicker than it had been in weeks. It was supposed to rain. It was supposed to rain for almost two days. The air chilled and the changing leaves blew in the wind like a kite in the sky. All of this simply had to do with the changing seasons, however.

The day was cold and almost constant wind wasn't helping any. The sun hid nervously behind a swarm of menacing clouds. Trees wooed and whispered as air blew through their leaves. Branches crept about, reaching out to grab anyone and everyone. These were the days that worried everyone the most about Lucy.

It had been a week already since Gray waited for hours outside a forest for Natsu. It had been a week since Natsu decided not to show up outside that forest for the sake of Lucy. It had been a week already since Lucy yelled at Gray about minding his own business before breaking down further. It had been a tough week for everyone, especially Gray.

Gray rubbed fiercely at his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping much at all as of late. How could he ever sleep when a good friend of his was out there still suffering, after all? His eyelids were heavy, wanting to close though without much success. Even if he did fall asleep, he wouldn't sleep long, usually waking in a nightmare induced cold sweat.

There had to be something he could do to get Lucy out of the forest for at least one day. Surely there was a way to get her to stop punishing herself and rejoin everyone where she belonged. Gray sighed. He wasn't sure how to do it.

He'd never dare take, willingly that is, more than himself to her home. Taking Natsu, though it hadn't happened yet, was one thing, but if he were to take another such as Wendy or Erza, would he be crossing the line? Would he be over stepping the boundaries? Gray really didn't know and certainly didn't want to find out. Everyone would just have to wait to hear from her when she was ready to come out.

Just that moment, his ears picked up a soft knock at his door. He raised from his chair, making way to the entrance. He sighed softly as he pulled the door open, eyes to the floor. However, as his eyes lifted and as he was greeted with a sight he wasn't expecting, a feeling of dread and happiness filled his gut to the brim.

* * *

><p>Lucy felt a fierce chill run down her spine. It ran around every nook and cranny, sending goosebumps every which way. She wrapped her arms around herself, sliding her hands quickly to hopefully warm herself up. She had a small fire going in what she made to be her fire pit, but it wasn't producing enough heat to keep her completely warm.<p>

The girl looked around her room. The wind was knocking fiercely at her door, never once pausing at give Lucy a moment of quiet. She rubbed her hands together again before standing from the floor. Her tired eyes quickly looked about, searching out a black cloak she managed to keep all these years.

Retrieving it, she quickly set it about her shoulders, seeking its limited, but helpful, warmth. Lucy pressed her lips together as she sat back down by the fire.

The wind picked up further, its puffs of air working their way in past the boards that was Lucy's house. The house rattled and creaked, screaming in a form of substantial pain. Lucy did her best to ignore this, just trying to stay warm.

She just had to make it through the night and surely the next day would be better.

She just couldn't ignore it though. A terrible feeling punched her stomach; pierced holes in her already broken heart. The blonde couldn't ignore the feeling and she felt her eyes constantly running to where they were hidden.

Lucy shook her head, yellow hair flying about her face. She couldn't. Now was not the time. She pushed her eyes to stare deep into the depleting fire, but it didn't help. Her brown orbs just kept working their way back to that one spot. She couldn't. Not now.

She allowed herself to stare at it, ignoring the wind and fire. She barely noticed herself get up and head towards them until finally they were in her hands, shinning brilliantly. They shone as though no time had even passed since she last put them there.

Her keys.

Her beloved keys.

Lucy held them close to her chest, feeling a strange warmth from them. Feeling a warmth that she had once forgotten. How could she have ever forgotten such a nice feeling? How could she have forgotten the keys she had once called friends? Lucy reached up and kissed them, not wanting to forget the times she had with them.

Perhaps they'd still come when she called? She wasn't sure. Lucy didn't even know if she had the strength to call them. She hadn't practised magic at all since then.

The blonde stared at her keys, now feeling unworthy of them. Surely they didn't care about her any more. She couldn't blame them if they did. It was her fault for ignoring them those past few years. Lucy felt her stomach tie into knots, folding over more than once.

There was no way they'd hate her though, right? Just be heavily disappointed, right? The warmth in the keys grew stronger. No. Lucy shook her head and a small smile. There was no way. If anything, they were just sad they hadn't seen her in so long. That's all. If she could call them out again, they'd be more than happy to see her.

A new knot grew in Lucy's stomach when she heard a loud bang the sizzling of something more. She turned around, her smile quickly fading into a frown. Her dirty couch caught on fire and it was spreading to the ceiling and to the floor. Her house definitely wasn't the safest from fires, but she never thought it would actually catch.

Lucy hurried outside, fighting the wind the best she could as she grabbed a bucket and some water. The only thing harder than trying to get outside to get water in the wind was trying to get back inside with water to put out the fire. The bucket was heavy. It was far heavier than she was able to comfortably carry, and the wind wasn't helping.

It blew her hair in her face, making it harder for her to see. It blew her light body to the left, making it harder for her to get through the door. It sent shivers down her body, making her curl up to stay warm. Even worse, by the time she managed to get inside, the fire had already spread to unstoppable measures.

She quickly dumped the water on the fire closest to her and hurried back outside. Following the same steps, the girl wasn't doing well in putting out the fire.

Within moments, her face was blackened with ash and a few burns worked their way onto her hands. Lucy had no choice but to give up. She didn't have the strength to call Aquarius. She didn't have the strength to call anyone.

Lucy watched in horror as more and more of her house was engulfed into the flames.

Then it struck her.

All of her writing was still inside. She pressed her eyebrows together and hurried her way back in, knowing it might not be too late to save her work. Lucy turned the corner quickly, grabbing the large quantity of papers before rushing her way back out. Only a few pages suffered the death of fire and a few were singed, but Lucy had managed to grab the majority of her life.

Her lips quivered. Luckily she always made sure to keep them in a nice pile by the door, the furthest place from her fire pit. Now, with one handing holding onto her stack of novels and one holding tightly onto her keys, Lucy watched sadly as her home was engulfed. She couldn't do much about it. Hopefully the coming rain would put out the fire.

Lucy felt a few tears run down her ash face. She had no choice but to leave. She turned her back on her home and hurried away. She wasn't sure where she would go at the moment, but she had to go somewhere before the rain started. The wind pushed her around, making pages at a time rip from her hands.

Her feet ran along the path as if knowing where to go before the thoughts could even process in Lucy's head. She shook in fear, running and tripping and just trying to make her way out of the forest. She wasn't sure where she would go. She wasn't sure where she'd be accepted.

Then it hit her. She had yelled at him before, but surely he wasn't too frustrated with her to the point of letting her sit out in the rain. She sped up, feeling droplets of rain starting to hit her. He'd let her stay.

Lucy tripped again, skidding along a paved road. She felt her knee rip open, but didn't stop. Rocks jabbed into the cuts and blood ran down her leg. The girl pressed her lips together in hopes of subsiding the pain. She quickly got back up and continued on her way.

Within moments, she managed to find her way to Gray's home and knocked fiercely at the door, just hoping he'd be there and not at the guild. Lucy looked softly at her hand, the mark of the guild long gone. She sighed and knocked at the door again.

It opened slowly and Lucy was greeted with the sight of a very tired looking Gray. At first he didn't notice her, his eyes being on the floor, but soon, his eyes met her own. They were filled with a mix of several emotions, but the blonde wasn't sure how to approach them. Her hand tightened on her keys.

She could feel her body shake unintentionally. Her lips shook while forming words. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Gray blinked a few times before pulling her in quickly, not noticing her burns and cuts, and shut the door. "I wasn't sleeping. What happened? Why are you here?"

Lucy looked at him, pressing her eyebrows together cautiously. She pointed at the door. "I can leave if I'm a bother."

He shook his head. "I didn't mean it that way. You are more than welcome here. You certainly aren't a bother. What happened to you?"

"I didn't know where else to go." A smile did its best to form on the girl's lips and new tears forced their own streaks on her cheeks. "I wasn't sure where I could go."

The man made his way closer to her and put a hand carefully on her back. He sighed. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Gray managed to get the papers from her, promising they'd be safe, and set them on a table. Her keys, on the other hand, he couldn't have pried them from her even if he desperately needed them. He showed her the way to the bathroom and ran some warm water for her. The Ice Mage found some of his older clothing and figured they were a little too worn out for her. Instead, he grabbed some of the new clothing he had recently bought and set them out for her, knowing they'd be big on her. But any of his clothing would be way too big on her regardless.

He left her on her own in the bathroom, staying by the door just in case. He could hear soft sobs mixing with the sounds of water. He didn't dare walk in though. He only stayed by the door in case of emergency. Gray figured that Lucy would want to be alone for the time being any ways.

_**Howdy y'all! How are you? Sorry I was gone for so long. I got mixed in with a bunch of things... sigh... Any who! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I figured it was time for Lucy to start moving on. And definitely time for her to get out of the forest. Sorry this took so long! I was really busy!**__** I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter! I promise!**_**_  
><em>**

_**In case you were wondering, I did win NaNoWriMo for the third year in a row! Hooray! So now that that is over, I have a lot more time to do this writing! But that's not my point.**_

_**Um... Any ways, sorry again this took so long. I have a lot planned and I actually have the ending fully written already. You guys are going to be in for one heck of a ride again. Haha. Sorry. I won't give away anything. Um...**_

_**So please comment on things you liked or things you didn't like. I really like comments. They help me a lot. Favourite if you haven't already. Follow if you'd please! Thank you so much!**_

_**~ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


	8. Chapter 6

As Lucy exited the bathroom of her friend's house, she wiped viciously at the red itchiness persisting in her eyes. She had ended up bathing far longer than she anticipated and even figured that by now, her house had been completely burnt down. She might have even caused some of the forest's destruction. She figured it was storming and raining hard enough to put out the fire.

Lucy clenched her keys in a tight fist and held them to her heart when she finished rubbing her eyes. She walked slowly into the living room that connected to the bathroom with a small huff. She was the cleanest she had been in a good long while, and to be totally honest, she had forgotten how nice a real hot bath was.

Lucy sat down next to Gray, who had moved from the outside of the door to the nearby couch. Her knees cracked and ached with each movement. Although she had managed to wash the blood from her deep scrapes, it didn't help much as it all still stung and festered slightly. Lucy tried not to pay attention to it though. She let her moist hair hang about her shoulders lazily and curled up on the couch.

The blonde girl looked at her friend with a small, unfeeling smile. "Thank you."

Gray sighed with a similar smile and handed Lucy a cup of tea he had prepared for her. She took it happily and hurried to set it against her lips. She welcomed the warmth it had with anticipation. The liquid ran about her body, warming even the coldest of places. How could she have forgotten all these pleasantries?

As Lucy set the cup down, Gray set a small blanket about her shoulder and pressed his eyebrows together. Holding her attention now, her smile quickly fading, Gray opened his lips to ask her but one question, "What happened?"

His breath smelled like peppermint, something that went so well on cold days. But Lucy couldn't dwell on this and instead released a small breathe. Her eyes quickly dropped to her keys, her fingers tightening more and more about them. She had to stay calm. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but small noises were all she could produce.

Each vocalization faltered more and more until even the girl's lips started quivering. She looked for the right words, but none would come to her. Her chocolate eyes ran everywhere, unsure of where to sit. Her cries were quick to form, but Lucy didn't want them. She blinked and blinked, doing her best not to let them fall. Her heart quickened to an almost painful pace. Her memory became foggy.

House? Why was she even at Gray's house? Why wasn't she home? That's right. It had caught of fire. Fire? What fire? How did the fire start?

Lucy's breathing got heavier with each new thought.

Fire? Natsu used fire. Where was Natsu? Why hadn't he come for her? Why didn't he come for her now? Natsu could save her. Natsu could still save her.

Lucy shook her head softly, swallowing sadness she couldn't overcome.

Natsu didn't love her any more. It was as simple as that. How could he love someone as worthless as her any ways? She couldn't even protect herself.

Lucy couldn't help herself. Even if she didn't want to, she couldn't prevent herself from sobbing any longer. She broke down. Tears streamed down violently. She wiped at them, but they wouldn't stop. They couldn't stop. Sure she had cried a lot the past years, but now, it felt as though she never had. It felt as though she had been hiding a single truth from herself.

Gray wasn't sure what to do. His eyebrows pressed together more. He reached out for her, but even he hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should hold her or not. He wasn't sure if she'd accept his concern. Gray pressed his hands into fists once before setting a hand on her small shoulder.

* * *

><p>The cold wind hit him hard. The rain drenched him without mercy. Natsu had to see her. Guilt tripped him relentlessly. He had to see her at least one more time. The boy trudged through mud, just wanting to see her.<p>

He knew where she lived, of course. He had been there before. Every time he returned for a new job, every single damn time, he went to her house in the dead of night while Happy slept and he checked on her. She was always just as beautiful as he remembered her. Every single time. Natsu was blind to what was going on about her.

He knew she wasn't well. He knew he had a false image of her. He knew he saw the old Lucy. He saw the Lucy that was bright and cheerful. The Lucy who's smile brightened up the room. The Lucy who loved him and everyone else with no end.

Natsu couldn't see the suffering Lucy. He refused to. He couldn't see the tear streaked face or the constantly dropping figure she once possessed. He wouldn't see it. Lucy's old self was immortal in his mind. She'd never change to him. He didn't want to see her suffering self.

And he accepted it this way.

Natsu stopped in his tracks. He could see a faint glow of red and orange in the dark. Not too many things could produce such a glow, and electricity was definitely more of a yellow colour. It could be a camp fire, Natsu figured, but it's light would never reach this far in such a storm. In fact, a camp fire would have been put out almost instantly in this weather.

It was definitely a fire though.

His feet picked up almost instantly and without thought. He had to hurry there. Something was wrong. The pink-haired boy ran there, his feet knowing each step as though he'd walked it a million times. He didn't have time to waste.

There was movement. He could see a figure running, tripping along the way, from the red glow in the distance. He caught a sight of blonde. He fell forward, but she didn't even notice. He called for her, but she didn't hear him.

Natsu scrambled to his feet. He watched as she disappeared out of sight. Now wasn't a good time, he figured, for him to come running to her any ways.

Natsu hesitated to move forward. His whole body ached for him to run after her, but a small portion of his mind screamed and yelled at him to run to her house. He had a decision to make. A pinch started in the corner of his eye. He couldn't run after her now.

The fire mage hurried on to the scene of a burning building. Astounded by how fast it had actually caught fire, though more than confident it was because of the wind, he rushed in. Natsu took in the fire, trying his best to salvage as much as he could.

He wasn't hungry and he certainly didn't need this fuel, but he kept eating the flames until not even the tiniest of sparks were left. He felt full. He felt far fuller than usual. A shiver ran down his arms and back and Natsu quickly turned around.

It was no use. There was no way she'd be able to live in this poorly made home now. Natsu looked about the home, though it was really only one room, with much sadness. Most everything was charred to a crisp. There'd be no returning.

He looked around. Had she left her keys? Probably not. He looked any ways.

He checked under the soggy yet burnt sofa she had used every night as a bed. Nothing. He looked in a cupboard she kept her berries and fish. Nothing.

The boy lifted his head, trying to figure out where she would leave them when he was drawn to the desk he had seen all her papers at before. He walked slowly to it. It hadn't been burnt much, just a single leg had taken much damage. Natsu peered about it. She usually left her keys there, he remembered. But they weren't there any more. He sighed happily, thankful that she had remembered them.

A few papers, written thoughtfully on, were illegible. Most were burnt to the point of no return, but a some managed to only get their corners done in. Natsu grabbed the nearest sheet and looked over. His eyes glazed over more and more with each word.

'Veronica knew she was unable to be loved. Veronica knew she was unable to love. Still, why did she try so hard? Why did she persist with such an endeavour?

The hot water hit her dry skin relentlessly. She could just feel the mud and blood run wildly down her bare skin. She grabbed onto her hair and rubbed viciously at it, hoping that it would come clean. She scrapped the underside of her nails, the chalked blood slowly starting to finally come out.

She just wanted to be loved, so why had he left her there to die? She just wanted to know that she was capable of feelings, so why did he reject her? Veronica couldn't help her tears any longer.'

Natsu sighed and set the paper back down. He didn't know she was writing such things, but he had to find her.

He hurried out the door. His feet skidding in the mud, but he didn't care, he had to find her. He had to tell her.

* * *

><p>As Lucy finally calmed down, she asked for her papers, her whole body shaking. Her knuckles turned white from gripping onto her keys too hard.<p>

Gray looked hard at her. A few minutes of silence passed, before he finally nodded at her, hurrying to get her her papers. He grabbed her cup, noting that it was empty and left with it. The raven-haired boy handed the girl her papers and she hugged them tightly.

A smile that she was safe rested on his lips and he went off to get her more tea when a small knock came from his door. He set the cup back down and looked at Lucy, who was slowly nodding off on the couch, her papers and keys still hugged tightly to her chest. He looked down once more, still smiling to himself, before going to open the door once more.

The fire mage pushed his way through, dripping all over Gray's hardwood floor. He looked Gray in the eyes and spoke in an extremely hushed tone, "Her house burnt down."

Gray had to refocus. His smile faded instantly. He shook his head and grabbed Natsu's shoulders, pulling him onto a mat that would be much easier to clean. "What? Who's house?"

Natsu didn't reject the movement, he just picked up his voice a little more. "Lucy's. Lucy's house caught fire and I saw her running from it. Is she here? Have you seen her?"

Gray hung on each syllable in each of Natsu's word. He rubbed at the undersides of his eyes and sighed softly. "Wait here."

The ice mage held up his hand and hurried off into his bathroom. He grabbed a towel and on his way back, he noticed that Lucy actually had fallen asleep now. Gray fixed the blanket on her shoulders with a concerned look and hurried back to Natsu.

"Dry yourself off real quick." Gray demanded.

Natsu gave Gray an angry look. "There's no time. She might still be out there. We have to find Lucy."

Gray could feel a small headache forming as he thrust the towel into Natsu's hand. It was about time that Natsu really started caring about Lucy. Gray looked at his friend and refused to take the towel back. "She's here. She just fell asleep."

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Ugh. I just wrote this all in one sitting. <strong>_

_**Hi all! How are you today? I hope you are well. I, myself, am doing fine. I've been busy with college stuff.**_

_**Haha... I know I said I would try not to take too long on this chapter, but I still took forever any ways. I don't want to say much, because I want to get started on writing the next chapter now and I have to bake a cake for my sister's birthday, but thank you a whole bunch! It means a lot to me when you guys put up with me when I take long in posting. It means a lot to me when you guys read this.**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter. I love it, actually. So please comment about what you liked or what you hated. I love comments a lot. They make me squeal like a piggy (I've been crocheting piggies a lot lately too). Favourite and follow this story if you haven't already too!**_

_**Thanks a whole bunch! I love you guys lots.**_

_**-ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


	9. Chapter 7

Realization hit the boy hard. At first he was stunned. Then he was concerned. Then finally, a small warmth of happiness reached his body. He dried himself off in a hurry and looked up at Gray. A smile reached Natsu's lips and he grabbed Gray's arms with a sigh of relief. "Where is she?"

Gray nudged in the direction of the couch, but when Natsu tried to push past him, he stopped the other quickly. "She just fell asleep. You don't want to wake her, do you?"

The other lifted his head to look past Gray's shoulder, just wanting a glance of her. When Gray pushed his way to block the view, Natsu simply moved his body enough to try and catch a look. "I'm not going to wake her. I just want to see her. Is that so bad?"

"Why don't you just wait until she wakes up?" Gray suggested before adding, "You can tell me what happened in the meantime."

Natsu sighed. He knew there was no point in trying to see her as Gray would block him every time, so he agreed to this. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd be there when she woke up. He wasn't entirely sure if he could muster enough feeling to be there when she woke up, but the least he could do was tell Gray what happened, just in case.

Gray led him to the table in his dining room and showed him a seat. Natsu sat down slowly, watching as Gray sat from across him. "When did you move here, any ways? I only remember visiting here once, but everything is so different from back then."

"Probably a year or so before Lucy came to Fairy Tail, I don't know. I've redecorated a lot since then." Gray spat out. "So what happened?"

Natsu turned to look at the couch once more before looking at Gray and saying, "I don't actually really know. I was going to her house to see her and I noticed it burning down. I saw her run away from it. I went to the house and put it out."

"You saw her running from it?" Gray asked.

"Well, I saw her tripping from it. I called out to her, but she couldn't hear me over the wind and rain, I guess."

The raven-haired boy nodded at this. "When she got here, I had her take a bath. I couldn't take her keys from her no matter what, but her papers I managed."

"So she did have her keys with her? That's great." Natsu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Even if she hadn't grabbed them, the fire wouldn't have damaged them. They are magic, after all. How about her house? How bad is it?"

"It's falling apart. Most of the damage probably came from the heat and rain. Boards were falling down. The ceiling, if you want to call it that, had holes in it like crazy. There will be no returning to it." Natsu said.

"To be fair, it was already like that. How much of it is burnt though?" Gray claimed, lifting his eyebrows with a lazy expression.

A small chuckle came out from Natsu's mouth, though it was extremely awkward and nervous. "Right. That's right. Not too much is actually burnt. Her couch is destroyed. And the papers she left behind can't be saved. Quite a bit of the wood actually is ruined. She wouldn't be able to go back to living in it."

"Maybe we should just destroy it the rest of the way?" Gray said, though he was mainly talking to himself. He looked up at Natsu hard. "It's not safe for her there, right? Well, it was never safe, but it's much worse now though, yeah?"

Natsu nodded.

"We should destroy it. Maybe she'll come back if we do?"

"I don't know, Gray. Maybe."

"What about you?" Gray started. "Will you come back? What will you do?"

"I don't know."

"What are you going to do if Lucy opens her heart back up? She needs us, Natsu."

The boy just shook his head, his anger just slightly rising.

"She needs you, hot head."

Natsu sat in silence, staring at his friend from across the table. She didn't need him. She didn't need someone like Natsu. He fed himself lies to feel better. She'd be better off without him. Natsu pressed a single hand to his forehead and shook his head.

They sat in silence, though Natsu did his best to distract himself with the sound of Lucy's breath. Gray stared at Natsu, and Natsu closed his eyes. He rubbed softly at the top of his eyelids and sighed.

"You know she doesn't need me, Gray." Natsu finally said. "I was the cause of all of this. She doesn't need me."

"She does." Gray returned. "You aren't the cause of everything that happened to her. Sure, you took her on that mission. Sure, you didn't save her in time. Sure, she might have blamed you at one time, but..."

"You are only proving my point." Natsu spat.

"But," Gray quickly said, "you didn't hand her to Felix. You didn't tell Felix to take her a second time. You didn't torture her. You didn't starve her or locked her up. You know what you did do though?"

"What?"

"You saved her. Twice."

"I didn't save her that first time. She saved herself." Natsu raised his voice a little. "I just happened to be there."

"You were there though. Doesn't that count for something? You beat yourself up all the time just because you didn't get to her fast enough."

Natsu banged his fist on the table, then rubbed at his head again. "I don't need you to tell me that! I did my best for her. But I didn't deny her, she denied me."

"She didn't deny you. She was upset with you, but you were the one who ignored her then tried to talk to her in the most inconvenient of times!"

"I still did my best. I did my best. And for the record, she beats herself up way more than I do myself! How about that? You could have just as easily tried to help her. Why does it have to be me? Why do I have to do my best just to get denied over and over again?" Natsu claimed, standing up from the table.

He removed himself and hurried over to where Lucy was sleeping. He stared at her soft face, small burn marks were present on one cheek, but he just sighed. When a single strand of hair fell over her face, Natsu quickly hurried to set it back in place. He sighed.

"You still love her, don't you?" Gray asked, standing from the table himself.

"I never once said that I loved her." Natsu claimed.

"No. You didn't." Gray shook his head. "But you do. I can see it. We pretty much grew up together, Natsu, I can read you like a book. You love her."

Natsu went silent again. He looked at Lucy once more with a small smile, then looked back up at Gray with a stern frown. He blinked a few times and tightened his fists. Did he love her? Maybe. He remembers telling her that he probably liked her more than a friend. And he remembers a kiss, but did he love her?

A small puff of red flew across his cheeks, to which Gray raised his eyebrows. Natsu blinked a few more times. "Alright. Maybe I do love her, but that's not the point."

"She still loves you too, you know." Gray smiled with a stern look. "She doesn't say as much and she doesn't let it show, but she still does."

"You don't know that."

"No. You're right." Gray admitted, stepping a little closer to Natsu. "I don't know that for sure."

Gray lifted his eyebrows again and set one hand against his heart. "But I can feel it. I can feel it radiating from her when she looks at you. Or when someone mentions your name. I can feel it. She might not admit it, and she may never admit it, but she does."

Natsu looked down at Lucy one last time. He sighed again before quickly pushing his way past Gray. A small slam was heard and Gray sat back down in the dining room. That boy always gave him such a headache.

On the couch, however, Lucy slowly raised her head. She looked about the room slowly, looking at Gray for a short second before laying her head back down. Her heart ached. Each fast beat was like a small stab to the heart. She could feel her mind blank and heat run through her body. She couldn't believe what she had heard.

_**Well, it was slightly shorter than I was hoping, but whatever! Hi y'all! This is the second chapter this week! Aren't you proud of me? I'm proud of me. And it looks like these boys do have hearts! Natsu sure has matured since way back when. I keep calling them boys, but they are men by now, really...**_

_**Whatever.**_

_**I do really like this chapter. I feel like I pushed it and made it feel rushed, but I feel like that was the point. It's supposed to feel a little rush. Oh. But Lucy was awake the entire time! Sorta. I figure she woke up when Natsu banged his fists on the table. Yeah. That sounds right. xD**_

_**Any who! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your supports, it means a lot. Comment and review if you please. I love comments. They make me happy. Especially when they say something about what was good about the chapter and what I could work on. Each comment is like a love tap to me. They make me super duper happy.**_

_**So comment! And please favourite and follow if you haven't yet. I try to update when I can, so there's no guarantee when the next chapter will be. So if you follow and stuff, you'll get messages of when I updated! Isn't that great?**_

_**I love you all a lot!**_

_**-ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


	10. Chapter 8

The next morning couldn't have come faster. After the conversation Lucy had overheard coming from Natsu and Gray, the poor girl just couldn't fall back asleep, no matter how much her body craved it. Her eyes felt dry and sore. She could just feel the bags under them. She couldn't do anything about it. No matter how much she wished to fall asleep, it just wasn't possible. Her mind constantly ran back over to Natsu.

Had he meant everything she heard?

Had he truly meant it all?

Lucy sat up quickly, still holding her papers and keys close to her. She blinked a few times before a puff of heat ran through her body. Something wasn't right. Lucy looked around the room. Her stomach growled fiercely, but she couldn't eat if she wanted to. Her messy blonde hair fell over her eyes. Some ends, as far as she could see, were slightly scorched, but she wasn't at all worried about her hair.

Her long legs pulled over the edge of the couch and she moved her body into a sitting position. One hand pressed against her stomach and the other set down her stories. She clung on to her gold and silver keys, starring at them. A small warmth was coming off of them and Lucy knew what she should do.

She pushed herself off the couch and hurried to the door.

Her body shook and she bit her lip hard, fighting herself for it to stop. She couldn't help it when her hand hesitated on the door handle. Her expression changed between anxious and confident and back again. She blinked rapidly, a small queasiness filling her stomach. She could feel her head shaking softly and could feel herself twitching, if only slightly. Chills ran down her spin relentlessly.

Deep breath. It was all she could do to calm herself before she turned the door handle and hurried out in the cool breeze. Her expression hardened. She had to go now.

It was still dark out, though light enough to still be able to see. Morning was drawing near and dew could be seen on just about everything. The street lamps were still on, adding a bit of a yellow glow to the water that puddled from the storm that had passed and ripples from the wind made sure they were apparent. The light glistened in the water, really making a beautiful sight after such a terrible night.

Lucy's eyes caught each fleck of light pursuing the reflection of the water.

She hurried to her destination, knowing he'd be there, even at this time of day. Her fists clenched without mercy, but she didn't stop this even with her sharp nails digging deep into her supple palms. Her feet knew where to go. They moved as if they had a mind of their own. Lucy didn't reject this. She needed to go there.

The streets opened to the building. The large words on the building had held in tact, even with the almost tornado like wind. The doors were shut, but a single light could be seen coming from a small window. He was there.

Lucy rubbed her face for a second, still clenching on to her keys, before pushing her way in the guild. She could see him hear her entry, but he never once turned to see her. She anger raised slightly with this and she walked up slowly behind him. His pink hair was just how it always had been. His scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck, and she could see him fidgeting with it.

"I knew you were awake then." Natsu said softly, just barely loud enough for her to hear. "Why don't you come sit with me?"

The blonde hurried to the other side of the table and sat in front of the boy. A small lamp was all that was between them. The light from the window had come from this single lamp. Natsu was looking down at the ends of his scarf, his fingers still dawdling with them. His eyes were fixated with what he was doing.

Lucy bent down, trying to get a view of his eyes. She set her head almost on the table, just trying to look him in the eye, but he didn't look up at her.

"I also knew you'd eventually work your way here. That's just how you are, Luce." He said.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Why what? Why did I admit my feelings for you in front of Gray even though I knew you were up? Why didn't I save you sooner? Why didn't I come see you? Why what?" His sad eyes looked just barely up at her before quickly dropping back down.

Lucy looked away, trying her best to think of a new question. She crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down silently. "Let me be frank about something, okay?"

Lucy picked her eyes up just in time to see Natsu nod, though he was still looking away.

A small smile formed on her lips. "How do you feel about me?"

"You heard what I sai-" Natsu head raised with this statement, a confused look on his face, but it was quickly replaced with understanding. He chuckled for a few seconds before finally answering, remembering a memory from then, "I like you a lot, Lucy. You are just my best friend, but I actually hope you were more than that. You certainly mean a lot more to me. And even though I've changed and you've changed, these feelings certainly haven't. I don't want to be apart from you, Lucy."

She bit her lip again, holding back a new smile that desperately wanted to show. She lifted her head and stared at him. "May I continue to be frank?"

He nodded again.

Her hazel eyes ran wildly, looking for anywhere to settle besides him. "I love you, and I have for a very long time now."

She set a hand softly on her chest. "I still love you. I yell at myself every day to forget your stupid smile and the stupid way you call my name, but I can't. Even though you've, well, calmed down a lot and you are no where close to how you used to be, I still want to be with you. And even more? I want us to go back to how we used to be.

"No." she scoffed. "I don't want us to be how we once were. I want us to be so much more. I want us to be as energetic as we were, but I don't want us to just be friends like we were. Hah. It's pretty selfish of me to want this, but I just can't help it. And yet I'm afraid we can never return to how it once was, even though I want so much more now. I'm not actually convinced we can fix things."

Lucy stood up from the table, determined to head back to Gray's house, and exited the guild. She had said only that which had been on her mind and now she needed to be alone. A tear ran quickly down her left cheek. She smiled at the rising sun.

Colours hit the sky. Reds and blues mixed with yellows and greens. Gray clouds were present and it looked as if were about to rain again, but the colours from the sun pressed on, fighting their way through the gloominess with an even brighter scheme. It was like a painted picture. Every colour in that sky fought one another to be there, blending into one another like never before.

And yet the shades of red were the most persistent. They worked their way about the clouds, coming in the most wide arrange of shades. Blood red mixed with the lightest of pinks then with the darkest of mahogany red. But Lucy knew it would be of no use. In the end, they didn't call it the "blue sky" for nothing.

Then she stopped. Not because she wanted to, but because something had stopped her. She could feel his hand around her wrist and smiled to herself.

"What if I fix it myself?" he asked.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Lucy asked in reply.

He shook his head. He didn't know, but he could certainly try. He opened his mouth to speak. "I don't know, but I can certainly try, can't I?"

"Nothing can stop you. I definitely won't." Lucy released her arm from him slowly and turned towards him, moving herself closer and closer until there was little to no distance between the two.

* * *

><p>Gray looked around his house. He knew she wasn't there, but he was confident she'd return. Where else would she go, after all? The ice-mage worked on some breakfast for the two, knowing they'd have a lot to discuss when she returned. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing.<p>

"They are such children still, always chasing after each other and yet quick to run away." he laughed softly to himself before the door opened to the girl.

She walked in slowly and sat down at the table.

Gray turned to her. "You're just in time. I just finished making some food for us."

Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Gray."

"It's no problem. We are friends, after all."

"Not just for that." She said. "For way more."

Gray went silent at this. He set a plate in front of her, then sat down himself, stuffing a few eggs in his mouth. They were quiet for a few minutes, Lucy hardly touching the meal, and Gray finishing off what he had.

Finally, he spoke up, "So what is that Hot Head going to do now?"

Lucy looked Gray in the eye.

"He always comes up with some pretty ridiculous solutions, doesn't he? What is he planning?"

She set her forefinger to her mouth and rubbed the tip softly on her bottom lip. "He said he was going away for a while. Something about wanting to better himself."

Lucy finally scooped a fork full of eggs and brought them to her mouth. She ate them silently, a small smile apparent.

Gray scoffed. "You and I both know he'll be back before long."

Lucy nodded, a puff of pink running across her cheeks.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Hello, everyone!<strong>_

_**Sorry this took me so long to write out. I had such terrible writer's block. In face, I just didn't feel like writing. Nothing was working out. My words couldn't come to me. I was actually getting ready to give up... But that's in the past. I finally updated!**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it and I apologize now for any mistakes. I didn't bother to reread it because I'm really tired. And I don't feel like I'll post it if I take the time to proof read. I just haven't been feeling well.**_

_**I know you don't want to hear about my troubles, but I'm going to write about them any ways... I used to love writing so much, and I still do... I'm just not feeling it like I used to. I don't know. I want to write. I want to write so bad. I was to become an author, but I know I have such a long way till then still. I just don't feel well. I still love writing SO much, but as I am right now, I don't feel like any of my writing is good enough... It's been like this for a while now. Probably since I started this sequel? I don't know. Roughly around then... Forgive me for never living up to expectations...**_

_**REGARDLESS! Back to what I should be saying here, thank you so much for reading! Sorry I bored you with my ickiness. I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to make this the last chapter, but it depends on how I feel. If it ends up being the last chapter, I'll probably write a little A/N in a few weeks saying so. If I decide I want to make this longer, then there won't be an A/N and you can just completely disregard this.**_

_**Uh... so Favourite and Follow my story if you haven't! I don't ever update regularly, so following and favourite helps you find out when I update next. So yeah! Do that! (Plus I like it when you do!)**_

_**And don't forget to REVIEW! I love reviews so much! They are what make me happy. They are what keep me going. So please review! Tell me what you think. Tell me what you want to happen. Tell me about anything! Reviews are awesome! So please do as much!**_

_**I love you guys a lot! I'm sorry I'm a loser!**_

_**ZatsuneMiku1/Rebecca Lauber**_


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